Who we are
Driving Empowerment, Action & Learning (DEAL) is a youth-led nonprofit committed to expanding access to education and essential resources in underserved communities. Our mission is fulfilled through the redistribution of books, clothing, and school materials to areas where they are most needed, from local Title I school districts to Native American reservations and even to developing nations around the globe. By mobilizing student leaders and leveraging local partnerships, DEAL transforms surplus into opportunity, fostering educational equity on a broad scale.
At the heart of DEAL’s model is our chapter-based system, which empowers high school students to lead campus book drives, coordinate local logistics, and engage their communities in meaningful service. These chapters, such as those at Brophy College Preparatory and Arizona School for the Arts, operate independently under our guidance, giving students real-world leadership experience while generating real impact. Chapters frequently collaborate with independent bookstores and donors to collect thousands of high-quality books that would otherwise go unused. Through a growing network of chapters, DEAL sustains a grassroots movement of student-led service.
DEAL also partners with mission-aligned organizations to expand our reach, including Patagonia, with whom we’ve collaborated to redistribute clothing and gear to Native American reservations and to international communities like Vanuatu to aid in climate-related hardships. Our distribution events have supported tribal communities including the Pascua Yaqui, Navajo, San Carlos Apache, and Hualapai Nations, as well as underserved areas in Phoenix. Internationally, our work has reached communities in Eswatini, Rwanda, Vanuatu, Mexico, and across the United States. Each delivery is tailored to the needs of the receiving community, ensuring that our impact is both strategic and compassionate. Through every chapter, every partnership, and every delivery, DEAL works to ensure that no potential is wasted due to a lack of resources.
